Overview

The Islamic tradition of mapmaking dates almost to the very dawn of Islam, driven in part by the necessity for all Muslims to face Mecca during their daily calls to prayer, and by the need to properly orient mosques to also face Mecca. Over the centuries, Islamic mathematicians and cartographers brought mathematical cartography to new levels of sophistication, drawing on their own research as well as incorporating many tools from the Greek and Hindu cultures. The result of this mixture of science, mathematics, religion, and cultures resulted was unique collection of maps and tables.

Background

Islam, which literally translates as "submission," is a religion dating to the beginning of the seventh century A.D. Within 30 years, Islam had spread throughout the Arabian peninsula. Within three centuries, it had been established from the western coast of...